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“So it’s an official docu in her stoe Better yet, paraphrase”

He pouted inuntil he told her to sign her naraphs “That’s it?”

He shrugged one e oneself unto eternity” He reached for the paper, ran his eyes over her efforts “I’ for her reaction to his praise—an upsurge of irritation for wanting it, for being so pleased at having it—he turned to his own paper, started writing the words he’d dictated her And she forgot everything as she watched those fingers that had once owned her flesh,a req’uh script of such beauty and elegance, such effect, it did feel like a spell

After he signed both docun his, she rasped, “So not only a prince, a tycoon, a philanthropist, a diplorapher, too”

“Yet another side-product of ed existence” His eyes ht out at a pettiness, at the need to apologize for it, at her anger at that need and at him

Not that he waited for her to coo of her eyes, pressed three stamps to the inkpad, nia, the Aal Masood family crest and the date The one he’d fixed to the day they’d first made lo—had sex

She stared at the seals The dark red ink beca blood She did feel she’d just signed a blood pact A binding, unbreakable one

He rolled up both docuer box “Those papers aren’t considered legitimate without titnesses As soon as we land in Judar, Shehab and Kanatures to ours” He rose, extended a hand to her “Noe’ll check on Mennah”

Everything in Cars, heart

Mennah The reason he’d just taken her on

The reason she’d just signed her life away

Seven

A gentle nudge jogged Car wakefulness

It took her a second to realize they were touching down

Her sandpaper-lined eyes scraped open And there he was

Farooq sprawled opposite her, an indulgent lion letting his overzealous cub crawl all over hi her

He scooped Mennah up with kisses and gentleness, rose, came to stand over her They both looked down on her from what felt like ten feet, his face opaque, Mennah’s ablaze with glee

“Do you need a few o?”